Little Girl
by CSI Ames
Summary: Sheldon knows it's going to be the last time he sees her for a while, so nothing she does is irritating him. When it's all gone wrong, can he find it in him to let her go? Used to be a one shot, changed due to reviews. Song based Fan Fic.
1. Little Girl

So this is my second Penny-Sheldon song based fan fic. It's based on a song by an Aussie Country singer called Adam Brand. The song is called "Little Girl" and I really encourage you guys to find a copy and listen to it, it really is a beautiful song and it does help explain the fan fic a bit more, although it is pretty self explanatory! Anyways, read and review because I was absolutely amazed by all the reviews I got for my first song based fan fic and it did encourage me to make this one! Thanks again guys!

Disclaimer: I don't own the song "Little Girls" by Adam Brand nor The Big Bang Theory and any of its characters.

_Darling one day you will know  
why it is that you must go.  
Why tomorrow you will be  
so far away from me.  
Maybe then we'll understand how easily _

_the time between the sweetest love and bitter tears  
Can be measured in your tender years_

Sheldon woke suddenly. Today was the day. He sat up in bed and rubbed his face with his hands. Pulling back the covers, he swing his feet from under the sheets and felt the weight of his body as he placed his feet on the floor and rose from the bed. Crossing the room, he silently opened the door, so as not to wake the person who was currently sharing his bed. Her blonde hair was scattered across the pillow, and he deduced that it was a strand of that that may have startled him awake.

As annoyed as he would have been only 5 years ago that his precious REM cycle had been disturbed, today he could not be annoyed. He knew what the consequences of the decision today might be. He might never see her again.

She moved in her sleep and resumed a position that would be no good for her back. Resisting the urge to go over and move her to a more comfortable position, he slipped out of the room and headed to the bathroom. Quietly closing the door, he saw his plaid suit hanging on a hook on the back. He touched the material and remembered back to the day he had worn it last. Smiling slightly, he remembered as Penny had adamantly refused to let him wear the suit on their big day. Eventually, his stubbornness had won her over and although she was not pleased, she allowed him to wear it.

She had looked beautiful as she walked up that small length of carpet to meet him at the altar. It had made his heart skip into tachycardia. He can remember her face as he made the priest stop until he had counted his heart rate and deduced he had not entered the early stages of heart failure. It was incredulous and at the same time, not at all surprised.

Still smiling at the memory, he removed his razor from under its protective UV light and began the careful process of sterilising it. Maybe this is why Penny couldn't last? He could have been more understanding and at least attempted to change his neurotic ways. But of course, that had been a clause in their pre marriage contract he had drawn up. That she must be willing to withstand all of his little habits.

Rubbing shaving cream onto the small whiskers on his chin, he carefully made all of the cream the same depth to maximise the efficiency of the razor. After examining it, he seemed satisfied enough to begin. A small knock on the door made him stop halfway through his first stroke. As much as he was irritated with the interruption of the motion, he knew who was on the other side of the door and he wanted nothing else to make as much time as he could for her.

He opened the door and saw his little miniature Penny on the other side. Her thumb was in her mouth, her other hand clutching a teddy under the crook of her arm and clasping her ear. Her hair was messy with sleep and her eyes appraised him.

"Daddy?" She mumbled around her thumb.

"Yes, princess?" Sheldon muttered, using his pet name for her. It was one of the few things that Penny had actually approved of. She had said it was bonding.

"Can I watch please?"

Sheldon was a little put out, but reminding himself that he would not be seeing her again for a while, he agreed.

Lifting her up, he placed her on the sink within clear sight of him. Picking up the razor again, he fought the urge to restart the whole disinfecting process again and began where he left off.

_Some would say the world is lost  
in court rooms as the details  
of the custody and court costs  
are read aloud to the parties.  
I believe my world is saved  
by a little girl watching her daddy shave_

When he arrived at the courtroom, Penny rushed up to them and grasped their daughter in her arms covering her body in hugs and kisses. Standing, she turned to Sheldon, acknowledging him for the first time.

"How was she?"

"Well, I think you mean 'what was her behaviour like?'. In that case, she was perfectly well behaved."

"You know what I mean Sheldon." She was irritated. "Was she upset? Because it was decided that this was the best option."

"I am very well aware Penny. But I neither like nor condone this idea. To take my daughter away so you can return home? Preposterous."

"Sheldon, you have neither the mental or emotional sides to handle her!"

"I am more than insulted by that Penny. I certainly have the mental capacities. I have an IQ that cannot be measured by present testing methods."

"You know what I meant! When she has problems, real social problems, you will not be able to handle them or help her through them!"

"I can do my best. As any parent attempts."

"Sometimes, just attempting doesn't work." She sighed. "Look at us. We tried, we failed. It's as simple as that."

At that moment, a member of the court ushered them into the court room and sat them down. They rose as the judge entered and sat after she had been seated.

"Custody hearing of Cooper vs Cooper. Last time we adjourned, we established that Penny would be obtaining full time custody, and that Sheldon would be able to attain custody over holiday periods and at other times at the discretion of Penny. An amicable decision was reached, so I have no choice but to agree to the terms dictated by both parties and rule that the mother of Marie Grace gains full custody on the proviso that father may make arrangements to get custody over holiday periods. This decision will be reviewed in one year. Court is adjourned."

With that, the judge rose and left the room.

Sheldon looked across the room and saw Penny pulling Marie's parka over her sweater. Tears were in her eyes, but it was nothing to what Sheldon felt. His body felt hollow. He stood and left the room as he couldn't stand to see anymore.

Outside the courtroom, Marie caught up with him.

"Daddy, I get to go and see grandma and grandpa in Nebraska!" She's so excited, he thought. She had no idea that this would be the last time she saw him for six months.

They had tried to explain it to her but even with her above average intelligence, at 3 years old she wasn't going to get it. It seemed that now, she still didn't get it.

Penny approached and he enveloped her in a big hug.

"I'll see you when you get back then, ok?" He whispered, pushing her hair out of the way of her face.

He looked at Penny.

"Take good care of her."

"You know I will."

Penny reached down to take Marie's hand and led her away. Marie turned to wave at Sheldon.

"I'm sorry." He whispered when no one would hear.

When he arrived home, he went to the bathroom to retrieve his suit coat hanger. It had to be that coat hanger. It was the perfect dimensions to withstand the weight of the suit.

As he opened the door, he saw his razor under the protective UV light and he cast his mind back to that morning, remembering Marie watching him so carefully.

_Standing there without a care  
watching daddy through your hair.  
Suddenly I recognise  
what used to be your mother's eyes._

And that was when Sheldon knew. He had to get Penny back.


	2. The Scientist

_**OK, so what started as a one shot has been extended due to all the reviews asking for another chapter. I had to invent a character in here, but I hope you like her. And... What else. Oh yeah, based on "The Scientist" by Coldplay. **_

_Come up to meet you, Tell you I__'__m sorry, You don__'__t know how lovely you are_

I had to find you, Tell you I need you, Tell you I set you apart

The train finally pulled to a stop and Sheldon stood. Reaching up above his chair, he reached above his head and removed his small bag from the overhead locker. Throwing it over his shoulder, he took a few calming breaths and cursed silently when the motion inadvertently reminded him of Penny. She had been the one to teach him that damned mediation hokum.

It was one of the final crushing blows to the best five years of Sheldon's life. Apart from the few years he spent researching his thesis to achieve the Stevenson Award at just 14 and nine months.

But that was different. Penny was something he couldn't figure out in a few years. He didn't understand the stresses of normal life and when Penny asked him for help he had said just that. Even when Marie had been born he hadn't stopped researching. Occasionally, late at night when he was up working, he could hear her in Marie's room trying to calm her. He even heard her crying some nights.

But still he didn't help and in the end, it had cost him. She had walked away.

And following his tradition of stubbornness, he hadn't followed.

But scientists learn from past mistakes, and he wasn't going to make that mistake again. That is what had led him to Omaha. Back to Penny and Marie.

_Tell me your secrets and ask me your questions, Oh let__'__s go back to the start_

Runnin in circles, Comin up tails, Heads on the science apart

As the people in front of him began to disembark, Sheldon stepped slowly forward. Stepping out on to the platform, he saw relatives greeting their loved ones and Sheldon's heart skipped a beat and began aching in the most peculiar way. He looked at the floor and fought back the aching in his throat that indicated tears were on their way. Looking up, he scoured the outside of the station for the taxi rank.

He needed to get to Penny's house.

Outside of the small ranch style house, Sheldon shut the door of the taxi softly. Walking up the familiar path, he closed the rickety gate and dusted the rubbed off paint onto his pants. He took the further few steps onto the porch, missing the squeaky step and paused at the front door.

Taking a deep breath he knocked.

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny?"

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny?

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny?"

An older woman with Penny's eyes opened the door. Her eyes appeared surprised for a moment, but a smile crept onto her lips as she realised who it was. Her large frame swelled with emotion and her eyes filled with tears. She wiped her hands on the apron on the front of her floral dress and reached out for him.

"Well look who it is, then." She smiled.

"Hello, Molly." Sheldon said as she enveloped him in a hug. It had been apparent a few years before where Penny got her fondness for affection from.

"What can I do for my favourite son-in-law?" She smiled again as she stepped aside to let him through the door.

"Technically, ex son-in-law now." Sheldon frowned.

"Not for long. I take it that's why you're back?" It was Sheldon's turn to smile now. Molly was very intuitive, maybe there was hope for Penny yet.

Well, there _was_ hope.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, she's taken Marie out riding the horses for the time being, why don't you come in and have a cup of tea. I remember the way you like it."

"That would be wonderful, thank you very much."

As Sheldon walked through the house, he admired all of the family photos adjourning the walls. It reminded him of his childhood house. He paused at the doorway of the kitchen however, because hanging right in the centre of the wall was a wedding photo.

And he was in it.

"You didn't take it down?" He asked, hurrying after Molly.

"Lord no, honey." She smiled. "You're always family to us now. Besides, it's not over until the fat woman sings and trust me, I ain't singing yet."

Sheldon sat down as Molly began the time consuming process of making him tea.

"How has Penny been?" He asked softly. Molly sighed and turned around.

"She misses you. She doesn't say it, but a mother can always tell. Sad eyes, sad face. Even when she's with Marie she stares out the window. Maybe she's waiting for a superhero." Molly winked.

"I'm not a superhero. I'm just a scientist."

"Just a scientist." Molly scoffed as she placed the tea in front of him. "Who better to rig the universe in his favour?" She smiled.

"You're suggesting I cheat my way back in?"

"Not cheat, honey. Just change the circumstances." Sheldon must have looked confused because she continued. "You know Penny better than anybody. Even me. You know her secrets, her dreams. Use the universe to help you get what you want."

At that moment, the front door slammed and a small voice called out.

"Grandma?"

As Marie turned the corner and spied Sheldon sitting there, she squealed and ran towards him. Her arms wound tightly around his neck and he picked her up. Her hair smelt exactly the same as the last time he had seen her. Strawberries.

As she pulled away and looked at him with the same eyes as her mother, Sheldon bit back tears again. It amazed him how much holding her transported him back just two years. To when everything had been ok. Or so he had thought.

"I missed you daddy." She whispered as she snuggled into his neck again. This time the tears overflowed. He juggled her for a moment and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket. At that moment, Penny followed Marie around the corner.

"Sheldon?" She looked surprised to see him there. And she had every right to be, last time, Sheldon hadn't followed her here.

"Penny." He whispered. He unwound Marie's hands from around his neck and set her onto the floor, never taking his eyes off of Penny.

"Come on, honey." Molly interrupted, taking Marie's hand. "Let's go put the horses away."

"But we already did!" Marie cried, her hands crossing across her chest in a perfect imitation of a Sheldon tantrum.

"Come honey." Molly said as she pulled Marie away. The front door slammed shut.

"What are you doing here?" Penny whispered as she stepped towards him.

"I made a mistake once Penny. I wasn't going to make it again."

"What do you mean?"

"I let the two most important people in my life leave. A great scientist never makes the same mistake."

Penny sighed.

"You still don't understand. I don't need a scientist. I need my husband. The father of my child. The person I loved. The person I still love."

"Then let's go back to Pasadena and give it another go..." Sheldon pleaded, his eyes searching Penny's face.

"I can't just yet. I don't want to make the same mistake either. I don't want to give my everything to you to have it all fall apart while I watch."

"What do you want me to do Penny?"

_  
Nobody said it was easy  
It__'__s such a shame for us to part  
Nobody said it was easy  
No one ever said it would be this hard  
Oh take me back to the start_

_I was just guessin, At numbers and figures, Pullin the puzzles apart_

Questions of science, Science and progress, Do not speak as loud as my heart

"You want me to do what?" He yelled.

"Give it up. Or give us up."

"Penny, you cannot be serious. Physics is everything I was put on this earth for."

"What about being a father and a husband?" She was getting angry now. "Do you honestly not remember how hard it was when we bought Marie home? Because I do Sheldon. I was the one up with her every night. I was the one who looked after her everyday. The only time I saw you were when you came into the room to see if she 'reacted positively to flash cards'". She finished with a perfect imitation of Sheldon.

He stood there silent. She was right. This meant, for only the fourth time in his life, he was wrong. He hung his head.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. A hand pressed against his cheek and he raised his head to find him eye to eye with Penny. Her eyes mirrored back his emotions and it was startling for him to see himself, perfectly reflected, so vulnerable. "I'll do it Penny. Just please come home."

__

Tell me you love me, Come back to haunt me, Oh when I rush to the start

Runnin in circles, comin up tails, heads on the science apart.

__

Nobody said it was easy

_Oh It__'__s such a shame for us to part  
Nobody said it was easy  
No one ever said it would be so hard  
I__'__m goin back to the start_

She smiled. How such a single visual could contradict itself to him was still a mystery. She was smiling, but her eyes were still sad.

"But I don't want to jump straight back in only for this end the way it did. I want to start again. From the beginning." Sheldon smiled.

"Hi, I'm Sheldon."

"And I'm Penny." She smiled back as she leant up to kiss him. When she pulled away, Sheldon looked confused again.

"Is that normally how you greet new people?"

"No, but I felt like I've known you for years." She giggled.

And outside, Marie was squealing with delight from her vantage point in the tree as she saw her mother and her father kissing.

_**If you guys enjoyed it and would like to see what happens next when Sheldon has to re-woo Penny, let me know, otherwise, check out my other fics and have a nice day! **___


	3. Fall for You

**Ok, so firstly, I am aware that the timing is a bit off- Penny moved into the apartment block in 2008. But for the sake of factual perfection, this is the way it needed to be. So, sorry for the slight inaccuracy. Also, sorry for not updating this fic for a while. It's definitely my most promising fic on here so I want to do a good job. So read, review and enjoy. **

**Based on the song: "Fall for You" by Secondhand Serenade. I don't own that, or the characters (besides the ones I invented). **

**EDIT: This is a repost. I decided after publishing that I wasn't entirely happy with it. So, sorry for the unfairness of giving you a subpar fic. My bad. **

_The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting  
Could it be that we have been this way before  
I know you don't think that I am trying  
I know you're wearing thin down to the core  
_

"Sheldon, what on earth are you doing?" Leonard stood in the doorway of the apartment, looking at Sheldon as he hurriedly shoved things into plastic crates and haphazardly closed the lids on them. "Is that my telescope?!"

"Yes. And to answer the previous question that you posed Leonard, I am taking Penny to Alaska for a few days."

"Alaska? Bit far away for a weekend vacation don't you think?" Leonard scoffed. "And why do you need my telescope?"

"First off Leonard, I am taking Molly's advice and using the universe to my advantage. Secondly, you left your telescope here when you moved out, and according to our roommate's contract: Section 4, part 3, subsection 5: "any objects left behind in the event of a removal of one's self from the apartment are subject to a three month holding period and any time thereafter the ownership of the object passes to the roommate left behind." So, really, it's my telescope."

Leonard stood in the doorway, crossing his arms and pursing his lips in the entirely Leonard like way, which caused Sheldon to sigh, and again, stop what he was doing.

"I'm taking Penny to see the aurora borealis and the Quadrantid meteor shower. I proposed to her under the Bradfield comet on May 3rd 2004 so it would appear that we have a history under the cosmos. I'm hoping that trend continues." He bent and began packing two blankets into a small waterproof bag. He crossed the room and pulled a few books off the bookshelf and tucked something into the sleeve of his shirt. Leonard was certain that he spotted a small velvet box being tucked into the blankets bag as Sheldon hurriedly packed it.

"Ok, well that's great. But why did you want me to come around?"

"I need to invoke the social paradigm between two friends called the favour."

Leonard said nothing, but nodded for Sheldon to continue.

"I would like to borrow the SUV that you have recently acquired and to enquire whether you and..." Sheldon swallowed hard and fought the tic that was forming behind his left eye, "Leslie could watch over Marie until we return."

"You would leave Marie with me and Leslie?" Disbelief coloured Leonard's voice.

"As much as I despise leaving my impressionable daughter with that woman..." He shuddered. "When I consider the alternatives of Wolowitz or Koothrapali, it makes that woman seem like a saint."

"Gee thanks Sheldon."

"Sarcasm?"

"You got it. Where is she anyway?"

"She's with Penny. They should be here any moment."

It was awkward between the two for a few minutes as Leonard stood stiffly in the doorway of the place where he had once lived. Sheldon continued to run around in a panic, quickly packing more and more things into boxes.

It was even more awkward when the woman he used to date showed up.

"Hey Penny." He smiled at her as she stepped into the doorway of the apartment. She smiled back warmly. Leonard sighed in relief. Leonard bent down to Marie's height. "Hey Marie. You all ready to go?"

"Hi Uncle Leonard. Yes please." She turned to hug Penny tightly, shrugging away when Penny enveloped her in kisses. She ran across the room and quickly hugged Sheldon.

"I wish I could go and see all those things with you, daddy."

"One day princess." He smiled. She beamed back at him and ran across the room, her Dora the Explorer backpack bobbing on her back and grabbed onto Leonard's hand, dragging him into the hall. Leonard looked pointedly at Sheldon and left the SUV keys on the small table by the door. Penny looked at the keys and then Sheldon. She raised her eyebrow at him before she was overcome by a fit of giggles. Goosebumps erupted along his arms as he saw her smiling at him, her eyes sparkling.

It left Penny and Sheldon truly alone for the first time since Omaha.

_But hold your breath  
Because tonight will be the night  
That I will fall for you  
Over again  
Don't make me change my mind  
Or I won't live to see another day  
I swear it's true  
Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
You're impossible to find  
_

"Way to give me a surprise sweetie. Sit me behind a steering wheel and give me a GPS which keeps telling me I'm doing fantastic at driving in a straight line. "

"I believe the idea of a surprise is the notion that you aren't aware of what is coming. Therefore I must insist that this will be a surprise. And, you will know all when we arrive." He looked out the window, smiling smugly.

"And where are we going? The north pole?" She glared.

"Oh please, after the atrocious experience I had up there, I doubt I'll ever visit there again." He stared her in the eyes, full of seriousness.

Penny smiled as she realised she had at least one place to go to get away from Sheldon's idiosyncrasies.

"We've been driving for hours. How much longer? "She pouted. Sheldon looked out the window again, although the motion was moot as all he could see was his reflection in the darkened window, and smiled. In anyone else, such an obvious display of immaturity would have driven him insane. But within him it flooded memories of him and Penny laying in her bed, her pouting at him as he went to get up and leave for work. Her saying goodbye at the door as she wished him a good day...

The GPS on the dashboard announced their arrival in just under half an hour and Sheldon settled back into his seat. Penny smiled. She had never seen him so relaxed while driving with her. The absence of the "Check Engine" light on the dashboard must have been an assurance for him.

_This is not what I intended  
I always swore to you I'd never fall apart  
You always thought that I was stronger  
I may have failed but I have loved you from the start_

_Oh, But hold your breathe  
Because tonight will be the night  
That I will fall for you  
Over again  
Don't make me change my mind  
Or I won't live to see another day  
I swear it's true  
Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
It's impossible  
So breathe in so deep  
Breathe me in  
I'm yours to keep  
And hold on to your words  
Cause talk is cheap  
And remember me tonight  
When you're asleep_

It was getting well towards midnight when they arrived in the clearing. Penny kept the engine running, using the headlights to light the area. She might have been Junior Rodeo tough, but the idea of being in the dark in the forest still gave her the wiggens.

"You brought me to a clearing a thousand miles away from where we live? What, are you going to murder me?" She suspiciously looked in his direction. He didn't answer her, just continued empting the back of the SUV.

She closed the door silently behind her and stepped into the middle of the clearing. Pine trees surrounded her and the grass flattened beneath her feet with an icy crunch. The crispy January air made her shiver beneath her only thin jumper that Sheldon had insisted that she wear. Behind her, Sheldon was deftly removing the crates from the back of the SUV.

"Do you need help sweetie?" Penny asked as she stared at the dark sky. The moon was absent and the stars were sparkling especially brightly.

"No thankyou Penny." Sheldon muttered. After arranging the boxes just so, he glanced in Penny's direction as he began to assemble the tent.

Penny was sat alone when she saw the first flash of colour. It lit up the sky with the most amazing wisps of colour. Green, then merging into blue and purple. She smiled as she realised what was going on. Sheldon was just putting the finishing touches on the tent when she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her lips reached up to touch his gently but firmly. His lips moved against hers with purpose and meaning and her knees began to shake, just like they did when they began dating. She pulled away before she got too enveloped in the moment and went to the supplies. Pulling out a bag of firewood, she set off to the middle of the clearing. Sheldon was still standing in the spot she had left him but after a moment, he shook his head and started unpacking the blankets and pillows for inside the tent.

After a few minutes, he took out a bag of marshmallows and wandered over to Penny who was just getting the beginnings of a fire started.

Placing a blanket close to the fire, he sat down and gestured for her to join him. Spearing a couple of marshmallows onto two sticks, he handed one to her. Gently rotating the stick in the warm glow of the fire, he spared a glance at Penny and wrapped his spare arm around her waist. She smiled at him then looked at the sky as the colours danced across the darkened heavens.

_  
_  
_Because tonight will be the night  
That I will fall for you  
Over again  
Don't make me change my mind  
Or I won't live to see another day  
I swear it's true  
Because a girl like you is impossible to find_

Sheldon woke suddenly as Penny moved in her sleep. She lay across his chest and pulled him closer to her. Her skin felt smooth against his.

She sniffed slightly and he wondered if that was because of her old sleep habit or because she was cold. Slowly, he removed himself from under her and found his pants in the corner of the tent. Placing them on, he pulled on the old parka he had used in the arctic and went out to the supplies inside the truck. Pulling out a few blankets, he reached further into the small bag and removed a small velvet box. Placing it in his pocket, he closed everything up and set off back to the tent. But when he looked back in the tent, she wasn't there.

Panicking, he looked around and saw her sitting by the flickering light of the fire. He carefully placed the blankets around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. She looked up and saw him. He quickly went to sit beside her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Smiling, she leant against his chest and could hear his heart beating quickly.

Looking up, she could see the little points of light falling to earth. They mingled into the colours of the aurora and made celestial fireworks in the sky.

"You were holding out on me." She whispered as she stared at the cosmic wonder.

"Surprise." Sheldon whispered back. He kissed her forehead, let go of her shoulders and helped her into a more sitting position.

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box. Penny smiled and shook her head slightly. "Sheldon." She said, her voice low with warning.

He opened the box to reveal a small commitment ring. The small stones in the ring made a small carving of a comet and its tail. Penny could feel the tears forming and bit back the feeling in her throat.

"Not quite an engagement ring, as we are taking it slowly. But think of it as a promise for it to be different this time."

Penny giggled as he slid the ring onto her right hand.

"Oh, honey." She sighed. "It's perfect."

Their lips met gently as the aurora and meteors continued above them.

_Tonight will be the night  
That I will fall for you  
Over again  
Don't make me change my mind  
Or I won't live to see another day  
I swear it's true  
Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
You're impossible to find_


End file.
